Races

Runner by Runner: Kingston Town Classic

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

1. Gailo Chop (59kg)

Trainer: Matthew Williams
Jockey: Brad Rawiller
Barrier: 4

10-year-old veteran who was beaten out of sight in the Railway Stakes. Ran a brave second to Kay Cee in last year’s Kingston Town Classic after leading them up and giving a strong kick at the top of the straight. 12 months on, 12 months older, he now finds himself in a race with a lot more pace than last year’s edition (Trap For Fools/Too Close The Sun). Better suited at 1800m, better suited at Weight For Age and gate helps but needs to improve quickly.

2. Trap For Fools (59kg)

Trainer: Lindsey Smith
Jockey: Peter Hall
Barrier: 17

Winner of the 2018 Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes who then ran a credible sixth to Arcadia Queen in the 2018 Kingston Town Classic a month later. Has since recorded a Group 1 placing in the Australian Cup (2000m), Group 2 placing in the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) and a Listed placing in the Mornington Cup (2400m). Comes into this fourth up and fresh but will play the understudy to his half-brother Too Close The Sun from the impossible gate.

3. Taxagano (59kg)

Trainer: Fred Kersley
Jockey: Mitchell Pateman
Barrier: 19

Honest campaigner who will likely take a similar progression to last year towards the ATA/Van Heemst/Towtown and onto the 2021 Perth Cup. Shock winner first-up at 90-1 in the Northerly Stakes before consistent and determined efforts in the Asian Beau, Lee Steere and Railway. Needs things to go his way and likely jumps closer to 200-1 than 100-1.

4. Too Close The Sun (59kg)

Trainer: Lindsey Smith
Jockey: Joseph Azzopardi
Barrier: 10

Biggest X-Factor in the field. Extremely talented, highly progressive and going from strength to strength every time he goes to the races. Demolished them in the Ascot Gold Cup which saw owner/breeder Geoff Evans fork out $22k for a Railway Stakes late nomination and ran out of his skin to finish second behind Inspirational Girl when sitting right over the top of a frenetic mid-race tempo and then going for home at the 600 when the leaders were beginning to tire. Meets Inspirational Girl 2kg worse for being beaten but will still have admirers, myself included.

5. Missile Launch (59kg)

Trainer: Vaughn Sigley
Jockey: Troy Turner
Barrier: 15

Won the Kalgoorlie Cup in October, 3 weeks later ran third in the Northam Cup and then did it tough throughout when tramping out wide in the Railway Stakes. Was 200-1 in handicap conditions, so rising 6kg here at WFA means that he’ll likely jump at a similar quote, or longer.

6. Neufbosc (59kg)

Trainer: Neville Parnham
Jockey: Jason Brown
Barrier: 8

Brings alternate form references and is clearly in career best form (from an Australian perspective). Had 10 starts in Victoria and nine of those 10 were beyond 1600m including two runs at 3200m in the 2019 Melbourne Cup and Sandown Cup. For him to win a Carbine Club Stakes third-up at 1400m shows just how well he is going. Could surprise a few of these and run a cheeky race.

7. Platoon (59kg)

Trainer: Neville Parnham
Jockey: Paul Harvey
Barrier: 13

Ran a respectable ninth in the Railway Stakes and was a better run than it reads on paper. Probably not going quite as well as he was this time last year when he ran third in the Railway and even then, struggled at WFA in the Kingston Town when beaten 6L. Needed to draw a gate to be any mad chance of playing a part in the finish.

8. Cup Night (59kg)

Trainer: Bernie Miller
Jockey: Patrick Carbery
Barrier: 1

Has done a super job to progress through an interrupted preparation after striking significant interference and injury in the Asian Beau Stakes. Had to return to trials and then ran a ripping sixth in the Railway Stakes, finishing off with a final 600 split which was only 1L slower than Inspirational Girl. Could it be déjà vu for Pat Carbery? Pounamu ran sixth in the Railway before winning the Kingston Town and profiles a similar horse to Cup Night.

9. Arctic Stream (59kg)

Trainer: Ross Price
Jockey Jarrad Noske
Barrier: 2

Has had a fair bit of racing in a short space: Lee Steere Stakes (7 November), Carbine Club Stakes (21 November) and Tattersalls Cup (28 November), and finds himself at the races for the third time in a fortnight. Comes up sharply in grade from a Listed Race to a Group 1 Feature and rises 4kg in weight. Much like Missile Launch, is on his way to the Perth Cup and makes up the numbers here.

10. Uni Time (59kg)

Trainer: Sharon Miller
Jockey: Alan Kennedy
Barrier: 12

Was incredible in the Railway Stakes when running the fastest last 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400 & 200 as a 100-1 pop. He was the sectional run of the race, the eye-catching replay run of the race and the way he charged through the line suggests that he’ll see out 1800m no worries. In review his runs in the Black Heart Bart Stakes, Asian Beau Stakes and Lee Steere Stakes pointed to a peak performance being right around the corner. Can he reproduce? That’s the question.

11. Truly Great (59kg)

Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams
Jockey: Chris Parnham
Barrier: 9

Has opened All-In Favourite for the 2021 Perth Cup and has really come of age this preparation. Beat up on moderate ratings grade opposition with back to back 72+ wins before gaining a start in the Railway Stakes with an impressive Group 3 RJ Peters Stakes victory at 1500m. Showed that he is up to this grade with a brave midfield finish in the Railway. Needs to improve again into Weight For Age conditions but will travel like the winner throughout.

12. Inspirational Girl (57kg)

Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams
Jockey: William Pike
Barrier: 18

Incredibly (impossibly) hard to fault anything she has produced in a whirlwind career that has now culminated in a Group 1 Railway Stakes victory and short priced favouritism in the Kingston Town Classic. First test beyond 1600m but always looked like she would eat up the additional ground, having clocked the fastest last 200m at 9 of her 11 career outings. The barrier draw makes things much more interesting. Does it even make her beatable?

13. Kay Cee (56.5kg)

Trainer: Neville Parnham
Jockey: Brad Parnham
Barrier: 11

Brilliant CV for a Weight For Age Group 1: Burgess Queen Stakes (1400), Kingston Town Classic (1800), Raconteur Stakes (1400), Belmont Guineas (1600) and Lee Steer Stakes (1400). Obviously as a 4-year-old mare has to carry 6.5kg more than she did when winning last year but her run in the Railway Stakes was better than it reads. Looks to be screaming out for the trip but the biggest concern from a form analysis perspective is that she has never won a race that has been run faster than benchmark to the 600. This will certainly be a genuinely run 1800.

14. Gemma’s Son (52kg)

Trainer: David Harrison
Jockey: Jason Whiting
Barrier: 3

Had never been past 1200m until November 7th when contesting the Lee Steere Stakes and running fourth behind Kay Cee, Red Can Man and Kementari. That effort pushed David Harrison toward the WA Guineas where he stretched out to 1600m and ran a handy sixth behind Watch Me Dance, Dom to Shoot and Western Empire. Again, steps into unchartered territory here at 1800m. Gut says he won’t stay the distance but barrier certainly helps.

15. Dom To Shoot (52kg)

Trainer: Sean & Jake Casey
Jockey: Peter Knuckey
Barrier: 7

Ran the fastest last 1000, 800, 600, 400 & 200 in the Fairetha Stakes at 1400m before his minor placing in the WA Guineas where he settled rearward off the back of a pedestrian tempo, was knocked around in traffic, held up at crucial stages and charged to the line to snatch third. Like all the 3-year olds is given a massive chance at WFA and after the barrier draw is nearly the horse to beat.

16. Watch Me Dance (50kg)

Trainer: Steve Wolfe
Jockey: Shaun McGruddy
Barrier: 5

Highly underrated filly who doesn’t get the same accolades as some of her more brilliant 3-year-old counterparts, but she is simply fool proof. Returned to the winner’s circle in the Champion Fillies with a gutsy win on a Heavy8 and then showed her toughness when backing up 7 days later to beat the boys in the Guineas. If she was wearing Cerise and White would she be single figures? Yes.

Snickerdoodledandy (50kg) – EMG 1

Trainer: Daniel Morton
Jockey: Shaun O’Donnell
Barrier 14

Brilliant winner of the Burgess Queen Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day and then was luckless in the Champion Fillies when held up and unable to build momentum at any stage. Unfortunately, she loses the services of regular rider Chris Parnham but she has always looked like a Kingston Town filly in the making and Danny Morton is the hottest trainer in Australia at the minute.

SELECTION: Dom To Shoot

Seventh in the Fairetha Stakes and third in WA Guineas certainly doesn’t read up that well for a Group 1 but both runs have been enormous and against race pattern. Looks to add his name to the extensive list of recent 3 year old winners and from the gate should get the run he needs to win. Definite eachway chance. Inspirational Girl now relies on a Pike special and a race run to suit. Too Close The Sun will make his own luck. Watch Me Dance holds a position in running and is impossible to fault.

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